Still construction



Jan. 19, 1932. s. w. WATTS STILL CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 26, 1929 jfzvenfif' C-Fa e WIWafIZ Patented Jun. 19, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT ol-"rics GEORGE W. WATTS, OF WRITING, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T STANDARD OIL COMPANY, OF WHITING, INDIANA, A. CORPORATION OF INDIANA STILL CONSTRUCTION Application filed August 26, 1929. Serial No. 388,360.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the construction of stills employed in processes concerned with the distillation, or conversion'of hydrocarbon oils. The invention is particularly adapted to be used in those hydrocarbon oil processes wherein the oil being treated is first assed through a heating means and then 18 discharged into a plurality of chambers or stills wherein it is maintained at an elevated temperature for a predetermined length of time. 1

'This invention will be fully understood fromthe following description illustrated in 7 the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a pair of stills embodying the improvements of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on line 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on line 3 of Fi 1.,

Re erring more particularly to the drawings, the numerals 5 and 6 each designate one of a pair'of elongated closed receptacles or stills used with apparatus employed for the distillation of hydrocarbon oils. The stills 5 and 6 operate as a unit, and are connected together at their upper portions by means of two separate conduits designated as a whole at 7 and 8. It is to be noted that in the construction shown the conduit 8 is spaced above the conduit 7. In the ordinary type of operation of oil distillation processes the'lower conduit 7 functions to transfer liquid from 1 one stillto the other, while the upper conduit 8 is employed for a similar transfer of vapors.

Each of the conduits 7 and 8 embodies an improved type of structure which obviates the possibility of the conduits becoming unnecessarily strained or broken owing to a differential vertical expansion of the two stills 5 and 6. Also, this structure'is designed to permit the conduits 7 and 8 to ex and horizontally without incurring any hability of their being unduly strained or broken. Each of the conduits 7 and 8 are constructed as follows: i

The stills .5 and 6 are each provided with short lengths of metal tubing or pipe 9 the from the side of the still. The flanged couplers 10 and 11 are connected by bolts and may have a suitable packing interposed between them, or they may have a ground lit. The outer ends of the lengths of the tubing 12 are each connectedto a right-angled elbow fitting 13. Each pair of the elbows 13 are connected together by a length of tubing 14. Thus a pair of separate conduits 7 and 8 are provided each of which communicates with the interior of the stills 5 and 6. The elbows 13 ma be provided with clean-out plugs 14. he lengths of tubing 12 and 14 may be welded to, or rolled into the elbows 13 and the flanged couplers 10 and 11 may be welded to the lengths of tubing 9 and 12.

The stills 5 and 6 are mounted upon an improved type of supporting means. This supporting means is connected to the stills at their lower portions and comprises the following structure.

The side wall of the lower portion of the still 6 is provided with a lurality of brackets 16, each of which is a apted to rest upon a suitable lug 17 mounted on the upper side of a frame member 18. This frame member 18 is of rectangular form and is supported upon a suitable foundation 19 formed of concrete or the like. The foundation 19 is provided with an opening or well 20 which receives the lower end of the still 6.

The still 5 is supported so that it may be rocked or pivoted. upon its supporting means, a predetermined distance away -from, or toward, the still 6. -To provide for this pivotal movement, the following structure is employed.

A pair of brackets 20 are mounted upon opposite sides of the lower portion of the still 5 and are positioned in a plane substantially perpendicularto the plane occupied by the two stills. The lower ends of the brackets 20 are rounded, as shown by Fig. 1. Each of these rounded bracket ends fits into a semicircular grooveor hearing formed in the upper faces of a pair of lugs or blocks 21, each of which blocks is positioned directly under one of the brackets 20. The blocks 21 are'mounted upon a frame 22. This frame 22 is similar to the frame 18 and is mounted upon the foundation 19. The lower end of the still 5 projects below the frame 22 and into an opening or well 23 formed in the foundation 19. This opening is larger than the outside diameter of the still 5 so that the latter will be free to rock or pivot on the brackets 20 to the extent desired.

To prevent the still 5 from pivoting fur.- ther than is desired, a second pair of brackets 24 is mounted on the lower portion of the still. These brackets 24 are mounted opposite each other and are positioned substantially in a line which passes centrally through both of the stills. A lug or block 25 is positioned below each of the brackets 24. These lugs are mounted on the frame 22 and are spaced a predetermined distance below the brackets 24, so that the still 5 will be free to rock or pivot a given distance toward, or away from, the adjacent still 6 which remains substantially stationary.

Each of the stills is provided with a drawoif line 26. One of the stills is provided with a conduit through which it receives the freshly heated oil, while the other still is provided with an outlet for the vapors. In the present embodiment the hot oil inlet is on the still 5, as shown at 27, and the vapor outlet is on the still 6, as shown at 28.

The operation is as follows: The heated oil is supplied to the still 5 through the conduit 27. When the level of the oil reaches the conduit 7 the oil will flow into the still 6. The

vapors, which separate from the liquids, ac-

cumulate in the upper portion of the stills, and are drawn ofl through the line 28, the vapors in the still 5 passing through the conduit 8 and into the still 6. The liquid remaining in the stills is continuously or periodically withdrawn through either or both of the lines 26, as desired.

During the operation of the process the temperature of the oil and vapors in the still varies. This variation of temperature causes of tubing 9. The length of the outstanding legs should be such that they will not be twisted or distorted beyond the limits of safety. In the ordinary use of these stills, the differential vertical expansion between the twov stills will not exceed one inch.

When the hot oil and vapors begin to pass through the connecting lengths of tubing 14, they will be heated and thereby expand in a horizontal direction. While this expansion will vary, according to the length of the tubing 14, in the ordinary type of structure this expansion will amount to between threeeighths and three-fourths of an inch. When the lengths of the tubing 14 expand, the pivotally mounted still 5 will be rocked in a di rection away from the stationary still 6. This movement of the still 5 will produce a torque in the outstanding legs of the conduits 7 and 8 which, however, will not stress these members beyond their elastic limits. When the operation of the process is discontinued, the lengths of tubing 12 will contract, causing the still 5 to rock back toward the still 6. Also, the stills 5 and 6 will be cooled off and will eventually reach substantially the same temperature. When this occurs, i. e., the contraction of the lengths 12 and the assumption of the same temperature by the stills 5 and 6, the outstanding legs will not be substantially stressed.

In one specific embodiment of the present invention the following structure was employed. The stills were seven feet in diameter and forty-five feet in height. The outstanding conduit legs were five feet in length while the conduit 14 connecting the legs was ten feet in length. It was found that under ordinary conditions of operation the differential vertical expansion of the stills did not exceed one inch, while the horizontal expansion of the connecting conduit 14 did not exceed three-eighths to one-half inch.

It will be understood that the length of the outstanding legs should be such that the distortion of the legs will be so distributed throughout their length that they will not be subjected to an undue amount of strain. If ground joints are used at 10, they can be arranged to provide for a suflicient movement to prevent appreciable distortion of the conduits 12. I

In the ordinary use of the stills, the brackets 24. are employed to prevent the still 5 from rocking too far and consequently falling over when the conduits 7 and 8 have been disconnected.

Heretofore it has been the practice to support such stills at their upper ends. Such practice necessitates the employment of a high superstructure or framework upon which the stills are mounted. that with the present invention such cumbersome and expensive structure is unnecessary It will be seen as the stills are supported The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be construed therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art. a

I claim: 1 I

1. In apparatus for the heat treatment of hydrocarbon oils, a plurality of vertically disposed stills, a conduit connecting two of said stills at a point above the medial point thereof, and means for supporting one of said connected stills at a point below the medial portion' thereof, said supporting means being adapted to permit the said still supported thereby to move away from or toward the other still upon the expansion or contraction of said connecting conduit. p

2. In apparatus for the heat treatment of hydrocarbon oils, a plurality of vertically disposed stills, a conduit connecting said stills at a point above the lower ends thereof, and means for pivotally supporting one of said stills, said pivoted su porting means being adapted to permit sai still to rock toward, or away from, another of the stills upon the contraction. or expansion of said conduit.

3. In apparatus for the heat treatment of hydrocarbon oils, a pair ofv vertically disposed stills, a conduit connecting said stills at apoint above the lower ends thereof, and

-'. means for pivotally supporting one of said stills at a point substantially remote from and below said conduit, said pivotal supporting means being adapted to permit said still to rock toward, or away from, the other still upon the contraction or expansion of said conduit.

4; In apparatus for the heat treatment of hydrocarbon oils, a pair of vertically disposed elongated closed receptacles, a conduit connecting said receptacles at the upper portions thereof, means for supporting one of said receptacles in a substantially immovable manner, and means for pivotally supporting the other receptacle'at the lower portion thereof, whereby the latter receptacle is permitted to rock relative to the immovable receptacle upon the expansion or contraction of said conduit.

5. In apparatus for the heat treatment of hydrocarbon oils, a pair of vertically disposed elongated closed receptacles adapted to receive hot hydorcarbon oil, a conduit connecting said receptacles at the upper portions thereof, means for supporting one of said receptacles in a susbtantially immovable manner, and means for pivotally supporting the other receptacle, said means comprising, a bracket mounted on the lower portion of the latter receptacle, and a bearing member for said bracket.

6. In apparatus for the heat treatment of hydrocarbon oils, a pair of stills, a conduit connecting said stills comprising, a pair of outstandin members one of which protrudes from one 0 said stills and the other of which protrudes from the other still, and a member interconnecting the outer ends of each of said outstanding members, and means for supporting said stills, said supporting means being adapted to permit at least one of said stills to move toward or away from the other still upon the expansion or contraction of said conduit.

7 In apparatus for thelieat treatment of hydrocarbon oils, a pair of elongated stills, a conduit connecting said stills at a point adjacent their upper ends comprising, a pair of outstanding members one of which protrudes from one of said stills and the other of which protrudes from the other still, and a member interconnecting the outer ends of each of said outstanding members, means for sup-' porting one of said stills in a'substantially immovable manner, and means for pivotally supporting the other still at a point adjacent the lower end thereof, whereby the latter is permitted to rock relative to the immovably supported still upon the expansion or contraction ofsaid conduit.

8. In apparatus for the heat treatment of hydrocarbon oil s, a pair of vertically disposed elongated closed receptacles adapted to receive hot hydrocarbon oil, a conduit connecting said receptacles, said conduit com' prising, a pair of outstanding members one of which protrudes from oneof said receptacles and the other of which protrudes from the other receptacle, said outstanding members being connected to the said receptacles at a' point adjacent one end thereof, each of said outstanding members being substantially perpendicular to the plane occupied by the pair of said receptacles, and a member interconnecting the outer ends of each of said outstanding members, means for pivotally supporting one of said receptacles at a point adjacent the other end thereof, whereby the receptacle so supported is permitted to move toward or away from the other receptacle upon the expansion or contraction of the inter-connectingmember of said conduit, thereby placing the outstanding members of the connecting conduit in torsion.

9. In apparatus for the heat treatment of hydrocarbon oils, a plurality of vertically disposed elon ated closed receptacles adapted to receive ot hydrocarbon oil, a conduit connecting said stills comprising, a air of outstanding members one of whic protrudes from one of said receptacles and the other of which protrudes from the other receptacle, each of said outstanding members. being substantially perpendicular to the plane occupied by the pair of said receptacles, and a conduit member interconnectmg the outer ends of each of said outstandingmembers, and means for pivotally supporting one of said receptaclesat a point removed from the point of connection of said conduit, said pivotal supporting means being adapted to permit said receptacle to move toward, or away from, the other receptacle upon the contraction or expansion of the interconnecting member of said conduit.

10. In apparatus for the heat treatment of hydrocarbon oils, a plurality of vertically dis posed elongated closed receptacles adapted to receive hot hydrocarbon oil, aconduit connecting said-stills at the upper portions thereof comprising, a pair of-outstanding members one of which protrudes from'one'of said receptacles and the other of which protrudes from the other receptacle, each of said outstanding members being substantially perpendicular to the plane occupied by the pair of said receptacles, and a conduit member interconnecting the outer ends of each of said outstanding members and disposed at substantially right angles to each of the same, and means for pivotally supporting one of said receptacles at a point below its medial T portion, said pivotal supporting means heing'adapted to permit said receptacle to move toward, or away from, the other receptacle upon the contraction or expansion of the interconnecting member of said conduit, whereby the said outstanding members of said conduits will be placed in torsion.

11. In apparatus for the heat treatment of hydrocarbon oils, a pair of vertical still chambers, means-for supporting said stills, one of said still chambers being pivotally sup ported by said support means, and a 'conduit connecting said stills, said conduit being connected to the pivotally mounted still at a point removed from its point of pivotal mounting, said conduit comprising a pair of laterally extendmgmembers one OfjVhlCll is secured to enact said stills and the other a of which is secured to the other still, and a member inter-col'mecting the outer ends of each. of said extending members, the length of said extending members being such that the torque exerted upon them upon expansion or contraction of the mter-eonnectin member and consequent pivoting of said stil chamber will not exceed the elastic limit of the material from which said extending members are made.

GEORGE W. WATTS.

Leaasos 

